Golf Pain

With golf, pain usually develops from repeated stress. The force of the follow through, snap of the wrist, crouching to putt, bending over to retrieve your ball, and hoisting your bag after each hole can strain a range of muscles, tendons, and ligaments from shoulder to foot.

Your golf swing itself, if not executed properly, is often the source of aches, pains and injuries that can spoil the pleasure of a good game. If every round reminds you of where you hurt, call us.

Tips to prevent golf pain:

Proper conditioning, including solid core function, flexibility and strength, are essential to prolong playing time and reduce injuries.

• Always warm up and stretch before you tee off
• Meet with a teaching professional for a refresher on proper golf grip, stance, swing, and equipment
• Make sure you have proper shoes and foot support
• Consider using a pull cart instead of carrying your bag

Lower Back Pain

Pain in the lower back is a common affliction among golfers. The sport can aggravate already existing disc and joint problems, or cause tears, strains and sprains in muscles, ligaments and swelling in the tendons. The Feldenkrais Method offers an approach to back pain without drugs, injections or surgery.

Shoulder and Elbow Pain

The shoulder is the most freely movable joint in the body, which makes it the least stable. Shoulder pain can result from general instability of the shoulder joint, swelling around the rotator cuff, and tears in the muscles around the shoulder blades. We provide techniques to ensure shoulder pain relief.

"Golfers Elbow" (medial epicondylitis) is caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons on the inside of the forearm, which leads to swelling and soreness around the elbow joint. Golfers can also suffer from "Tennis Elbow" (lateral epicodylitis), pain and swelling around the outside of the elbow joint. Without treatment pain becomes chronic and disabling.

Hand and Wrist Pain

The wrist is vulnerable to pain from repeated gripping, flexing and snapping. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a repetitive stress disorder in the nerves of the hand, may be triggered by playing too much golf. When the tendons of the wrist are inflamed, they create pressure on the nerves causing numbness and tingling in the thumb, hand and fingers. The hand is likewise vulnerable to impact syndromes and overuse.

Knee Pain

Golfers commonly experience knee pain from muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Shifting weight on the backswing and follow through, pivoting onto the forward knee, repeated squatting behind the ball,  even walking can put stress on the fibrous tissue surrounding the knee joint and knee cap.

Foot and Ankle Pain

The sheer force of the golf swing puts extra pressure on your feet and ankles, which can cause tightness, soreness and sharp pain in the heel, inflamed nerves in the sole of the foot, and tendonitis in the arch. Orthotics can be used to restore balance, but more can be done to relieve foot and ankle pain.

Visit the Feldenkrais Center to relieve pain from sports injuries.

At the Feldenkrais Center in Encinitas, CA we will analyze the source of your pain and address it with a customized treatment plan for a full range of golfing discomforts. You will receive therapy that involves the whole body to relieve pain and prevent further injury.

The Feldenkrais Method uses a series of gentle, non-invasive movements, designed to help you optimize flexibility, correct balance, improve posture, and build strength. Don't allow pain to be part of your game.

Call Lori Malkoff, MD for a free phone consultation.